Our increasingly mobile and mechanized society uses a variety of different fuels (e.g., gasoline, diesel fuel, ethanol, etc.) as energy. Liquid fuels are generally stored in liquid reservoirs such as underground storage tanks, above ground tanks, or any of a variety of different containers. Typically, liquid fuel reservoirs have inlets and outlets through which fuel can be added to and/or removed from the reservoir. These inlets and outlets may typically consist of a riser pipe extending from the reservoir. Internal to the riser pipe is a drop tube assembly that typically includes a drop tube segment including a valve assembly that is adapted to respond once a predetermined level is reached in the liquid reservoir. Such an exemplary valve assembly is shown, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,986,320.
Such drop tube segments have proven to be very effective. To further enhance the beneficial nature of previous drop tube segments, there is a desire to provide a substantially fluid tight seal between the conduit and rotatable pivot bearings of the valve assembly. A fluid tight seal may inhibit, such as prevent, fluid (e.g., vapor) in the ullage area of the reservoir from leaking into the interior housing area of the drop tube segment. It is desirable to inhibit such fluid leakage since the interior of the drop tube segment can act as a chimney, thereby venting the leaked fluid to the surrounding atmosphere and potentially creating an environmental concern.
To address potential concerns of vapor leakage, it is known to provide a sealing arrangement for portions of a conventional drop tube segment 500 as illustrated in FIG. 7. The conventional drop tube segment 500 includes structures similar to those disclosed in the referenced patent such as a conduit with an integral sidewall. In addition, a sidewall portion 554 of the integral sidewall at least partially defines an interior housing area 556 that contains portions of a conventional valve assembly. The conventional valve assembly includes a driver member 540 and a cam member 560 that are each rotatably mounted with respect to the conduit by a shaft 590. A portion of the driver member 540 extends through an aperture 598a defined in the sidewall portion 554. Similarly, a portion of the cam member 560 extends through another aperture 598b also defined in the sidewall portion 554. As described in the referenced patent, the driver member 540 and the cam member 560 are each adapted to rotate in response to pivotal movement of a float with respect to the conduit. As further shown, the shaft 590 includes a first end portion provided with a cotter pin 593a and a second end portion provided with another cotter pin 593b in order to limit a lateral movement of the shaft 590 with respect to the conduit. The shaft 590 further includes an annular groove 591a provided with an O-ring 592a adapted to seal an interface 595a between the outer surface of the shaft 590 and an inner surface of an aperture of the driver member 540 to inhibit, such as prevent, fluid from leaking into the interior housing area 556 by way of the interface 595a. Similarly, the shaft 590 also includes another annular groove 591b provided with another O-ring 592b adapted to seal an interface 595b between the outer surface of the shaft 590 and an inner surface of an aperture of the cam member 560 to inhibit, such as prevent, fluid from leaking into the interior housing area 556 by way of the interface 595b. 
The drop tube segment 500 further includes a retainer 596a adapted to be positioned, such as press fit, within the aperture 598a defined in the sidewall portion 554. The retainer 596a and the driver member 540 trap a quad ring sealing member 594a with respect to the conduit. The retainer 596a further provides a sealing surface for the quad ring sealing member 594a to seal an interface 599a between the driver member 540 and the retainer 596a to inhibit, such as prevent, fluid from leaking into the interior housing area 556 by way of the interface 599a. Similarly, the drop tube segment 500 further includes another retainer 596b adapted to be positioned, such as press fit, within the aperture 598b defined in the sidewall portion 554. The retainer 596b and the cam member 560 trap another quad ring sealing member 594b with respect to the conduit. The retainer 596b further provides a sealing surface for the quad ring sealing member 594b to seal an interface 599b between the cam member 560 and the retainer 596b to inhibit, such as prevent, fluid from leaking into the interior housing area 556 by way of the interface 599b. The retainers 596a, 596b are desirable for providing a sealing surface in applications where the conduit includes a relatively thin sidewall portion 554. Providing the sidewall portion 554 with retainers 596a, 596b has proven to be very effective. However, interfaces 597a, 597b between the retainers 596a, 596b and the respective apertures 598a, 598b in the sidewall portion 554 may not be completely fluid tight such that fluid might leak into the interior housing area 556 from an exterior location of the drop tube segment 500 by way of the interfaces 597a, 597b. For example, fluid might leak into the interior housing area 556 from an exterior location by traveling through the interface 597a between the retainer 596a and the aperture 598a. Similarly, fluid might leak into the interior housing area 556 from an exterior location by traveling through the interface 597b between the retainer 596b and the aperture 598b. 
Currently, there is a need for drop tube segments that further inhibit, such as prevent, fluid from leaking into an interior area of a drop tube segment by way of one or more apertures formed in a sidewall portion that accommodate one or more pivot bearings of a valve assembly.